The first average speed control stage in Latvia was installed about a month ago on the Rīga bypass near Mārupe. These cameras have recorded more than 300 violations. The total is more than 2,500.
That's a large enough number of violations, and they're not just about speeding, “It's the absence of OCTA that dominates the top spot - more than 880 violations, speed violations 700, and 280 refer to violation of transportation registration rules,” said Juris Jančevskis, chief of the State Police Response Administration.
Police believe such cameras have a positive impact on traffic as, firstly, offenses are recorded and, secondly, drivers are forced to comply with road traffic rules even in cases where there is no visible police presence.
The biggest speeding violations have been recorded at 30 to 40 kilometers per hour above the speed limit. The penalty for owners of these cars is between €80 and €160.
The responsible authority for the installation of the average speed control stages is “Latvian State Roads”. Its representative Anna Kononova said the project costs for the first 16 stages are approximately EUR 1.3 million.
Eight more sections of average speed control are planned to be installed by the end of the year, meaning there will be a total of 16. If funding is provided, the next plan is to introduce 15 more such sections.
